Monthly Archives: June 2016

The Swathi effect: stop justifying violence in the name of love in movies, says twitterati

Thinkal Menon

The gruesome murder of techie Swathi at a city railway station in broad daylight three days ago has left Chennaiites in shock. Though the authorities concerned have been putting their best foot forward to nab the culprit based on CCTV footage, what has upset the family more is the insensitive behaviour some people have shown in speculating about the girl’s character. Needless to say , it is highly condemnable that the character of a deceased person has come under scrutiny without ample evidence. While a few blame it on the male domination in the society , there are some others who feel cinema has a major role to play in it, when it comes to judging or generalising women. Though there are several Kollywood songs singing praises of women, including a few recent numbers, unfortunately , the ones in which women are abused or objectified become comparatively more popular.Not long ago that the Beep Song created a fuss and its music director and singer had to face the music, taking the case to court.

While this is not a story linking the gruesome act with a few songs, many twitteratis have opined that the general feeling of insecurity among women in the state today largely stems from the way women are portrayed in our movies. Sample these…